Fire and rain alarm.



M.- GEBHARD. FIRE AND RAIN ALARM. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1915.,

Patented Spt. 4, 1917.

ww G'M-Gebhwrd UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. GEBHARD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE AND RAIN ALARM.

Application filed February 16, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. GEBHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fire and Rain Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire and rain alarms and the principal. object of the invention is to provide a circuit closer which is adapted to be used in connection with alarm system and which when placed in one position is adapted for use as a fire alarm and when in another position for a rain alarm.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a particularly sensitive circuit closer which may be easily and cheaply constructed and set up ready for use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a circuit closer constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 shows one of the contact springs used in connection with the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the device showing the same used as a fire alarm.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the same in use as a rain alarm, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spacer or spreader which is used in connection with the device when in use as a fire alarm.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates as an entirety the housing of the device which may be constructed in any suitable manner but in this form comprises a back wall 2 having secured to its side edges the side walls 3. A front wall 4 connects the outer edges of the side walls and a suitable. end wall 5 is provided at one end of the device to form a closure therefor. The opposite end of the housing is left open and it will thus be seen that a hood or cup is formed according to the way in which the device is used.

Specification of I.etters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Serial No. 78,658.

Secured to the inner side of the rear wall 2 are the contact springs of the circuit closer, each of which comprises a base piece 6 having formed therein suitable apertures 7 and 8 for receiving the attaching means by which the base piece is secured to the back. One end of said base piece is bent outwardly to form an arm 9 which extends at right angles thereto and is bent upon itself as at 10 so that the contact spring will project at right angles to its longitudinal axis but in a plane with the opposite side faces thereof.

The contact spring is designated by the numeral 11 and is bowed outwardly as clearly shown in the drawing to form an outwardly extending arm 12 while the bowed portion of the spring forms the contact element. The arm 12 is formed with an integral angularly extending extension or finger 13 formed near its extreme outer end with a. transverse slot 14 and intermediate the slot and the point where it joins the arm 12 with a tapered opening 15, the use of which will appear as the description proceeds.

hen the device is in use as a fire alarm as illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the contact members are secured to the back wall in the manner shown and the contact portions thereof are held in spaced relation by means of a fusible cord 16 which acts as a streamer which runs around the walls of the room beneath a bead 17 which is secured to the base board. In this position it will be seen that the cup or hood 1 is inverted as shown thereby forming a hood for the contact elements and when the heat becomes great enough to burn the streamers 16, it will be seen that the springs will move inwardly into engagement with each other and thereby close an electrical circuit. It will be understood that the spreader or spacer 16 may be used in place of the streamers and is positioned between the contact springs so that its tapered ends, engage in the tapered apertures 15 and thereby hold the springs separated. In the use of this form of device it will be noted that when the heat becomes great enough to melt the spreader or spacer 16 the springs will move inwardly into engagement with each other and thereby close the alarm circuit.

When the device is used as a rain alarm as shown in Fig. 5, it will be noted that a strip of tissue paper or similar material which will readily break when moistened is at tached at its ends to the arms 13 through the openings 14 and pass outwardly beneath suitable guides 18 so as to hold said arms in spaced relation as is shown in Fig. 5. As soon as a drop of rain lands upon the paper it Will be seen that the same will tear thereby allowing the arms to move toward each other so as to complete an electrical circuit. In this form it will be seen that the hood 1 is inverted to form the cup so that the paper will be exposed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a particularly simple and efficient fire or rain alarm is provided which will readily close an electrical circuit and may be easily used as either without changing the construction in any way.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

WVhat is claimed is 1. In a circuit closer, a casing said casing having a rear wall, front wall, side walls, and one end wall, its opposite end being fully open, a pair of contact springs secured to the inner side of the rear wall of the casing and having their free ends disand end wall having its opposite end fully open, a pair of contact springs having attaching portions at one end which attaching portions are removably secured to the inner side of the rear wall at a spaced distance apart and their free ends disposed near the o en endof the casing, said contact springs having their medial portions bowed toward.

one another defining contact points, and destructible means connected to the free ends 60 of said spring normally holding their medial portion away from one another, said-attach ing portions of the springs adapted tohaveconnected thereto respectively the terminals of an electric circuit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. GEBHARD.

Witnesses:

LOLA A. EKs'rnN, CARL E. EKSTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent, Washington, D. 0. 

